


(i can say i've really loved) if the world should end

by AceSailorKoshkaRayn



Series: if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing (you're fuckin' perfect to me) [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith is a smushy baby and likes to use terms of endearments a lot, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Langst, M/M, Soulmate AU, Vignettes, blood tw, that soulmate thing where sometimes you can hear your soulmate's thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 11:33:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13053183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceSailorKoshkaRayn/pseuds/AceSailorKoshkaRayn
Summary: And if the darkness will descendDon't need a savior or a friendI can say I've really lovedIf the world should end'If The World Should End' by Jennifer DamianoA series of short stories set in no particular order from my Klance Soulmate AU. Updates will be sporadic, as work eats my soul and motivation and then laughs at me when I try to have time to do literally anything other than sleep :/





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey,” Lance blinked up at Keith, a curious glint in his ocean-blue eyes. “When did you first know I was your soulmate?”

“I…” Keith pursed his lips, the movement of his hand unconsciously pausing from where he'd been petting Lance’s hair.

Lance made a noise of discontent, pushing against the hand, and Keith chuckled wryly and began moving again.

“I think I knew for sure way back on Arus, actually,” Keith admitted, almost reluctantly. “I didn't want to say anything, because I thought you hated me.”

“...Yeah, sorry about that,” Lance turned his face away awkwardly, chewing on his lower lip. “I...my brain is not a fun place to be.”

“I know,” Keith said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Lance's forehead. “It's not like mine is any better, really.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of these may seem complete, and they kind of are, but that's kind of the point? It's like...a snapshot sort of thing, of just a little bit of time, centered around one of the soulmate exchanges.  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

“ _ Hey, Keith _ ,” Lance croaked, voice thin and crackly over the comm.

“Yeah, babe?” Keith replied instantly, dashing recklessly down the purple-tinted hall. “What’s up, where are you at?”

“ _ Dunno _ ,” Lance told him, and coughed raggedly. “ _ S’dark, though _ .”

“I’m on my way,” Keith blurted, willing his body to move just a  _ little _ bit faster. He careened off a wall as he skidded around a corner, slicing through a sentry just before it could start to blare an alarm.

“ _ M’cold _ ,” Lance murmured weakly a few moments later, sounding as though he wasn’t even aware he was speaking.

Keith swore silently, glancing down at the map projecting up from his wrist only long enough to be sure he was still going in the correct direction.

_ God, why do  _ I _ always have to be the one that gets rescued? _

“You’re just too pretty, babe,” Keith told him, and a confused murmur from Lance informed him that that hadn’t been aloud. “Um, loud brain, is all. I’m almost there.”

Lance hummed a vague acknowledgement and coughed weakly. “ _ I ever tell you...how much I don’t like...the dark? _ ” he mused, almost conversationally.

“Once or twice, baby,” Keith swallowed, powering through a group of guards by sheer force of will alone. Red growled in the back of his head, angry for him, with him. “I’m almost there, okay? Just a little bit longer.”

“ _ Cold _ ,” Lance told him.

“Once we get back to the castle we can take a nice, hot bath,” Keith promised him, jamming his bayard into the locking panel of a door behind him and jamming it shut. “In the big bathtub in the royal chambers, alright? With all that fancy bubble stuff I know you love.”

“ _...Sounds n-nice, _ ” Lance mumbled, voice so so soft and quiet.

“Lance!” Keith yelled, forcing the point of his bayard into the meager crack between the door panels and forcing them apart.

The blue Paladin was curled up in the dark across the small storage room, bayard pointed threateningly at the door. He was much too weak to use it by this point, however.

“Keith,” Lance croaked, bayard slipping from his cold fingers to clatter against the floor. “You’re...here.”

“I told you I was coming,” Keith replied, sliding to his knees and- hesitating. He didn’t know where to grab that wouldn’t put the poor boy in intense amounts of pain. “God, Lance, I was so fuckin’ scared-”

“S’okay, s’okay,” Lance reached up to pat at Keith’s cheek, leaving a streak of hot red blood behind. “You’re here, I’m here-” he shifted and hissed in pain, whole body tightening, but that only made everything hurt more.

Keith urged him to hush, carefully lifting Lance into a sitting position, then up to his feet. He clipped the blue bayard into his own holster, carrying the red sword in his fist. “C’mon, babe, let’s get out of here.”

“After you,  _ cariño _ ,” Lance said, sagging weakly against Keith’s side. “I will admit...just this once, mi-” he sucked in a wheezy breath, “mind you, that you are...better in front.”

“And I’ll never let you forget it,” Keith said, shifting Lance to be draped over his back as he stormed through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *finger guns*  
> now who wants to bet how many months it'll take for me to think of something for the next one ;-;  
> drop me a line at asexual-sailor on the Tungles if you've got an idea, maybe? :3


	3. Chapter 3

“You know,” Keith mused absently, staring up at the strange stars, “there was a period of time where I thought I’d imagined you.”

Lance hummed, one of his arms draped over his face. His other hand was held firmly in Keith’s, a sword-calloused thumb rubbing soothingly over his knuckles. “I suppose I am a little outside the realm of belief.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Keith replied. “I just figured that there was no actual way that I would be lucky enough for there to be someone meant for me, so…” he shrugged, turning his face towards Lance.

Lance lifted his arm just enough to peer at Keith out of the corner of one reddened eye. “So...what?”

“I’m glad you’re alive,” Keith told him, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

“...I’m glad you’re alive too,” Lance said, arm dropping back down to cover his face. “And I’m glad I found you, even if we are stuck in space with no way-” his voice broke, and he paused to pull in a shuddery breath. “Even if...there’s no way back. Home.”

Keith squeezed his hand silently. _I’m pretty sure you’re my home now_ , he thought, and could tell by the small uptick of Lance’s bitten mouth that it was one of the thoughts that went through. He smiled, honestly glad, and rolled towards Lance, until he was laying fully on top of the other boy.

“...Keith?” Lance croaked.

Keith hummed in response, eyes closing. “You’re warm.”

“...Thanks, Keith,” Lance replied, some of the tension melting out of his body. Both of them knew it wasn’t just a thanks for being warm, but neither of them felt the need to clarify.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is. a little ehhhhh :/  
> also! so like, if you want, shoot me a message on tumblr (asexual_sailor) or w/e if you have an idea for one of these or smth? i am definitely *not* a romantic and i don't wanna basically do a copy-paste thing with this which is what i feel like this would very quickly turn into :C i am much more prolific at angst, but there's only so many ways you can kill/nearly kill a person in a single story, so :|


	4. Chapter 4

Keith stared in shock as Lance tackled the much taller alien to the deckplates, slamming his fists into their face a few good times before he was hauled off, hissing and spitting violently.

He looked to Shiro, standing just a few feet away, but the man was simply standing there with his arms crossed, a dispassionate expression on his face.

That was...less than encouraging.

“Say that again to my  _ face _ you fuckin coward!” Lance snarled, ripping himself from the grip restraining him and pointing accusingly at the alien still prone on the ground.

They were groaning, clutching at their doubtlessly bruised and possibly broken face, as one of their compatriots levered them into an upright position.

Keith abandoned his stalled-out conversation with the Blade of Marmora team leader and shuffled over to Shiro. “What…?”

“Lance was defending your honour,” Pidge piped up from Shiro’s other side, arms also crossed and staring at the Marmoran Lance had laid out.

“...I can defend my own honour though?” Keith frowned, looking to Lance, who was still scowling darkly but allowing Hunk to inspect his knuckles.

Lance wasn’t even wearing his full armour, just the three-quarter-sleeve undershirt and trousers.

Shiro shrugged, face bland. “You weren’t here, and apparently he’s too cowardly to bitch to your face, or voice his complaints to his team leader like a non-dipshit.”

Keith’s eyebrows lifted sharply in shock; for  _ Shiro _ to curse twice in a sentence… He shuffled over to Lance, taking the hand not being inspected by Hunk and frowning at his knuckles.

“I don’t think you broke anything,” Hunk said with a final prod. “I mean, nothing on yourself, at least. Marmorite over there is probably gonna be whistling through his nose for the next while.”

Lance smirked absently, looking at Keith through his eyelashes. “Um,” his smirk softened to a small smile, “hey babe.”

“I think I should be thanking you for defending me,” Keith mused, rubbing his thumb over the back of Lance’s hand. “I dunno from what, but.” He shrugged, “thank you.”

Lance blushed, gaze dropping. Chewing on his lip, he shrugged. “He was just...saying he wasn’t quite convinced that you  _ deserve _ to be a Blade. He’s stupid. I...definitely lost my temper a little bit.”

“You’re not gonna catch any complaints from me,” Keith smiled, always a little stupid for his soulmate. “I think you’re sexy as fuck when you lose your temper.”

“You  _ always _ think he’s sexy,” Hunk scoffed, throwing his hands up and moving away.

“Also true,” Keith nodded, and leaned in to kiss Lance.

Flushing a hot red, Lance bit his lip and Keith couldn’t help but kiss him again.

**_I fuckin love this idiot, fuck._ **


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This did not go the way I either wanted, or expected, and now I *really* wanna write more of this.  
> :/

“No, he’s not my soulmate.”

Keith choked, spitting out his mouthful of water. “ _ What _ ?” he half-shrieked, incredulous. “You- you mean, like, you mean you don’t  _ have _ any soulmates, or-”

“No,” the other Keith shook his head, pulling up the sleeve of his jacket and exposing the bright red words written in a language neither of them spoke, spelling out the intended name of his soulmate.

“But…” Keith swallowed, looking down and then back up again. “You aren’t…”

“We aren’t soulmates,” the other Keith said again, tugging the sleeve back down. “I am not his and he is not mine… But we chose each other anyway.”

Keith’s head snapped up again, staring at his other in awe. “You did?”

“Of course I did,” he laughed, smiling brightly. “You know him- how could I  _ not _ ?”

“Ooh, are we being talked about?”

Both Keiths turned to the entrance to the training room, automatically smiling at their partners.

“Hey baby!” the completely human Lance waved, eyes bright with mischief. “I knew I’d find you here.”

“Of course you’re trying to fight your double,” the Altean-looking Lance added, amused.

The Galra-furred Keith shrugged unrepentantly, slinging his luxite blade over his shoulder. “And I take it you didn’t?”

Both Lances giggled, casting each other a look.

“What, and hurt this pretty face?” Human Lance scoffed, separating from his double once they reached the other pair. He linked hands with Keith, only his white knuckles betraying his uncertainty.

“Puh-leeze, it’s like you barely know me,” Altean-Lance added, amicably allowing his Keith to carefully inspect him for any damage sustained.

Full-Galra Keith gave him a dry look, brushing his thumb against his bottom lip, pointedly avoiding the split.

Half-Human Keith whipped around to stare at Lance, and scowled at the bruise darkening around his eye.

“...Aren’t you glad we didn’t have our bayards?” Human Lance asked weakly, shrugging with only one shoulder.

Both of the others turned to peer at them curiously.

“Bayards?” Keith asked. “Is that what you fight with? Not with our mother’s blade?”

“...Yeah?” Keith cocked his head to the side. “Well, also with her blade, but…” he unhooked the bayard from his belt, activating it.

“...Holy shit,” Galra Keith breathed, eyes wide. “So you really  _ are _ Paladins of Voltron!”

“...Are you not?” Lance frowned.

“No,” Altean Lance shook his head. “Voltron has been lost for centuries. As far as we know, Empress Allura destroyed it only a few years into her reign.”

“ _ Empress _ Allura?” Lance asked, high-pitched. “Are you guys from that universe where the Alteans are bad guys?”

Galra Keith squinted. “Are they...not? Here?”

“Well, they’re kind of all  _ dead _ here,” Keith replied, as tactful as always.

Altean Lance make a hurt kind of noise, like he’d been punched in the gut. “ _ Dead _ ?” he asked incredulously. “All of them?”

“...Yeah, pretty much,” Lance nodded. “Except Allura, except she’s only a princess and not evil, and Coran.”

“I’ve never heard of a ‘Coran,’” Altean Lance said with a frown. “Who is he?”

“He’s the Princess’s advisor,” Lance said. “Without him we  _ probably _ would have all ended up, like, starving, or killing each other or something.”

“...I wonder if he’s still alive in our universe,” Galra Keith mused, looking thoughtful. “We should look into that.”

Altean Lance nodded.

“So are all the Galra dead on your side?” Keith asked curiously, “since the Alteans are the bad guys?”

“...No?” Galra Keith looked confused. “Of course not.”

“I thought I remember being told that Empress Allura or whatever killed all the Galra,” Lance said, looking confused now himself.

“No, of course not,” Altean Lance shook his head. “At least, not in  _ our _ universe. The Empress killed Lord Zarkon, of course, and his Witch-Wife Honerva, and took in his half Galra half Druidish-Altean infant to raise as her own-”

“Whoa,  _ what? _ ” Lance interrupted, waving his free hand wildly. “She raised  _ Lotor _ ?”

“...Yes?” Altean Lance frowned. “Though he was renamed Almarik upon his ascent to the throne.”

“Holy  _ shit _ ,” Lance said, softly, but with much feeling. “God, that’d be so weird. Was he a flowery douchey pretty-boy there too?”

“He is a terrifying warrior who has conquered nearly the entire known galaxy, but yes, he is very pretty,” Galra Keith said flatly. “There is little that can stand in the way of the might of the Galtean Empire.”

“...Galtean?” Keith frowned. “Is that, like, the dynasty name or something?”

“It’s Galra-Altean, babe,” Lance said, lightly squeezing Keith’s hand. “Since Lotor is half of both.”

“And they are working together,” Altean Lance added. “United under one banner and all that.”

The door to the training deck slid open, and both Keiths immediately spun their Lance behind him and adopted defensive stances, luxite blades drawn.

“...So I see you’ve also found the anomaly,” Pidge said, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

_ You’re the anomaly _ .

Keith snorted despite himself, smacking himself in the face.


End file.
